1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mounting apparatus for electronic components for mounting an electronic component taken out from an electronic component supply device on a printed board.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electronic devices have been multi-functionalized, and the number of required electronic components has been increasing. Those electronic components are mounted on the printed board, which will be incorporated in the electronic device. Accordingly, the cost of the electronic device directly reflects the number and type of the electronic components which can be mounted on the printed board per unit time.
JP-A No. 2006-286707 (Patent Document 1) discloses the apparatus for mounting the electronic component attracted by the mount head with plural nozzles to be taken out from the component supply device on the printed board. The mount head is installed in a moveable member attached to a beam which extends in an x-direction (hereinafter referred to as “x-beam”) so as to be moved in the x-direction. The x-beam is installed in a moveable member attached to a beam which extends in a y-direction (hereinafter referred to as “y-beam”) so as to be moved in the y-direction. The respective moveable members are moved to a desired position by a linear motor or a pulse motor in response to a command from a host computer such that the component is attracted or mounted.
In Patent Document 1 as described above, the component supply devices are disposed at both sides of the printed board, and the component mount heads are disposed at both sides of the printed board correspondingly to accelerate the rate for mounting the components. The frequently used components are distributed in the component supply units for the purpose of preventing efficiency deterioration caused by the frequent use of the specific components.
JP-A No. 2004-47818 (Patent Document 2) discloses the structure in which the plural heads are installed in the x-beam to accelerate the rates for taking out the electronic components from the electronic component supply device and for mounting the thus taken out components on the printed board.
In the structure disclosed in Patent Document 1, the frequently used components are distributed in the component supply device so as to shorten the total time for mounting. In this case, each of the mount heads disposed at both sides of the printed board is operated to mount the electronic component on the printed board at one side. In other words, the mount head takes out the electronic component from the component supply device at one side of the mounting apparatus for electronic components and mounts the electronic component only on one-side of the printed board. Two oppositely arranged mount heads are operated to mount the electronic components on the entire surface of the printed board.
As each of those two mount heads mounts the component only on one side of the printed board, no collision occurs therebetween. In this case, however, the mount head mounts the electronic component only on one side of the printed board taken from the component supply device at one side, which may limit the freedom degree. Each of the two mount heads may be structured to pick up the component from the component supply devices at both sides to mount the electronic component on the other side of the printed board. In the aforementioned case, the two mount heads interfere with each other to have the risk of collision.
The mount head is structured to move at a high speed of approximately 2 m/sec for accelerating the rate for mounting the component. Collision of those mount heads which are moving at high speeds may break themselves. Additionally, as the mount head is provided with many nozzles for attracting the components, the mechanism for controlling those nozzles, and the camera for identifying the substrate, breakage of those components due to the collision may cause serious damage. The mounting apparatus for electronic components cannot be operated until recovery of the damaged head, which may seriously deteriorate the productivity.
In the structure disclosed in Patent Document 2, the component supply device is disposed only at one side of the printed board, and the plural heads are installed in the x-beam to accelerate the rate for mounting the component. However, it is difficult for the aforementioned structure to provide sufficient space for the component supply. The structure may also cause the risk of collision among the plural heads installed in the x-beam. The risk of head collision may occur especially in the maintenance process to cause the problem likewise Patent Document 1.